Last Modified: Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at 7:14 a.m.

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A passerby called the Tryon Police Department around 1 p.m. and reported that a patch of kudzu had caught fire, said Tryon Fire Chief Joey Davis.

By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze, pushed by wind gusts up to 30 mph, had grown into a much larger fire. Within a short time the fire grew to five acres. After a couple of hours, it covered 30 acres in the area of the 2500 block of U.S. 176 at the bottom of the Saluda Grade..

The fire threatened about a dozen homes near Meadowlark Drive and Warrior Drive but no one was evacuated.

"The wind is our biggest adversary," Davis said at mid afternoon. "It is beating us up."

Houses threatened

Houses along U.S. 176 were not completely safe from the inferno.

Rachael Hoyle, 25, watched the fire consume kudzu high on a ridge a couple hundred yards from her home.

Emergency officials closed off Harmon Field and set up a staging area where about 100 rescue workers converged to battle the blaze.

Given the steep terrain, firefighters used ATVs to access to fire. Two N.C. Forestry helicopters dropped water onto the fire. A spotter plane also assisted in the operation.

"We are having a hard time putting people in the woods," Davis said. "The fire has been jumping around so much."

Firefighters on the ground focused on protecting homes.

At about 3 p.m., none of the fire had been contained, Davis said.

"We are hoping for some rain," Davis said. "Every little bit would help."

Rain did come, helping firefighters get control.

"We have a pretty good leg up on it now," Davis said at about 5 p.m. "Things are looking good."

Bulldozers were hauled in to dig out fire lines later in the day.

The N.C. Forest Service and the Tryon Police Department continued to be on site throughout the evening to make sure the fire continued to remain under control. The fire should be completely extinguished by this morning, Davis said.

"We are going to make sure it doesn't rekindle," Davis said.

No houses were damaged and no one was injured.

Responding to the fire were the departments of Tryon, Saluda, Columbus, Mill Spring, Green Creek, Landrum, S.C. and Boiling Springs, S.C. The state Forest Service, Polk County Rescue Squad, Red Cross, Tryon Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff's Office were also at the scene.

<p>TRYON - Flames from a burn barrel ignited a brush fire that quickly spread over 30 acres of countryside and threatened buildings Monday afternoon.</p><p>A passerby called the Tryon Police Department around 1 p.m. and reported that a patch of kudzu had caught fire, said Tryon Fire Chief Joey Davis.</p><p>By the time firefighters arrived, the blaze, pushed by wind gusts up to 30 mph, had grown into a much larger fire. Within a short time the fire grew to five acres. After a couple of hours, it covered 30 acres in the area of the 2500 block of U.S. 176 at the bottom of the Saluda Grade..</p><p>The fire threatened about a dozen homes near Meadowlark Drive and Warrior Drive but no one was evacuated.</p><p>"The wind is our biggest adversary," Davis said at mid afternoon. "It is beating us up."</p><p><b>Houses threatened</b></p><p>Houses along U.S. 176 were not completely safe from the inferno.</p><p>Rachael Hoyle, 25, watched the fire consume kudzu high on a ridge a couple hundred yards from her home.</p><p>Earlier she saw emergency vehicles arrive with sirens blaring.</p><p>"It scared me to death," Boyle said. "I didn't know what was going on."</p><p>Emergency officials closed off Harmon Field and set up a staging area where about 100 rescue workers converged to battle the blaze.</p><p>Given the steep terrain, firefighters used ATVs to access to fire. Two N.C. Forestry helicopters dropped water onto the fire. A spotter plane also assisted in the operation.</p><p>"We are having a hard time putting people in the woods," Davis said. "The fire has been jumping around so much."</p><p>Firefighters on the ground focused on protecting homes.</p><p>At about 3 p.m., none of the fire had been contained, Davis said.</p><p>"We are hoping for some rain," Davis said. "Every little bit would help."</p><p>Rain did come, helping firefighters get control.</p><p>"We have a pretty good leg up on it now," Davis said at about 5 p.m. "Things are looking good."</p><p>Bulldozers were hauled in to dig out fire lines later in the day.</p><p>The N.C. Forest Service and the Tryon Police Department continued to be on site throughout the evening to make sure the fire continued to remain under control. The fire should be completely extinguished by this morning, Davis said.</p><p>"We are going to make sure it doesn't rekindle," Davis said.</p><p>No houses were damaged and no one was injured.</p><p>Responding to the fire were the departments of Tryon, Saluda, Columbus, Mill Spring, Green Creek, Landrum, S.C. and Boiling Springs, S.C. The state Forest Service, Polk County Rescue Squad, Red Cross, Tryon Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff's Office were also at the scene.</p><p>"We are very appreciative of our mutual aid," Davis said.</p>